(Los Angeles) Jack Flaherty and two Los Angeles Dodgers relievers combined to allow just three short hits to the New York Mets in a clear 9-0 victory Sunday night in the first game of the National League Championship Series.
The Dodgers knocked Kodai Senga out of the game in the second inning, took a 6-0 lead into the fourth and tied the Baltimore Orioles’ 1966 World Series record of 33 consecutive innings without allowing a run. .
Shohei Ohtani had two hits in four at-bats and had one walk. He crossed the plate twice and produced a run.
Both teams will return to action on Monday.
Flaherty gave up two hits in seven innings. It was the first start of seven or more innings without allowing a run for the Dodgers since Clayton Kershaw in 2020.
Flaherty left the mound to a standing ovation from the 53,503 in attendance at Dodger Stadium. The 28-year-old right-hander has been very useful to the Dodgers since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.
Flaherty retired the first nine batters of the game, bringing the number of consecutive strikeouts by the Dodgers to 28. However, he started the fourth by allowing a walk to Francisco Lindor.
The Mets’ only hits against him were singles by Jesse Winker and Jose Iglesias in the fifth. Flaherty had six strikeouts.
Lindor (0 for 3) and Pete Alonso (0 for 3) were held in check by Dodgers pitchers.
The Dodgers, who were facing elimination after three games against the San Diego Padres, blanked them in the last two clashes of their section series.